Possession
by This.Second.Smile
Summary: TenRoseJack. The trio meet an old friend of the Doctor's on an alien planet, but more is in store to test the relationships between the three time travellers... OK I KNOW THE FIRST CHAPTER IS TOTAL RANDOM CRAZYNESS BUT PLEASE READ ON!
1. Chapter 1

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

Rose Tyler was being chased by a monster. An alien with huge feet, who was pursuing her down a dark corridor that seemed to stretch into infinity.

_Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump._

It was getting steadily closer. Yet she was slowing down. Each step was more difficult than the last.

_Thump._

A door swung open in front of her, revealing the Doctor, sitting astride a large, colourful ball.

"Wakey wakey, Rose!" He grinned boyishly at her.

Rose, blinking sleepily, sat up in bed. God, her head ached.

"And how are we today?" The Doctor said brightly, noticing her expression.

"Head hurts."

"Well, that's the effects of Red Chilli Nibikee vodka for you." He bounced a few times on the spot, seemingly unable to keep still. "I _did_ warn you…"

"Only had one." Rose crawled back under her duvet, deciding it was easier to say as few words as possible.

"Ignore him, honey. I know how you feel. I only managed _two_ and they knocked me for six. " Jack Harkness appeared beside the Doctor. "C'mon, Doc, it's my turn."

Somewhat reluctantly, the Doctor relinquished the ball to Jack. The spacehopper was his new toy ; after a visit to Earth, 3721, where half of London seemed to have been using them as "green" transport, the Doctor had got a black and green striped one for himself.

Jack had managed to look vaguely disinterested for ten minutes, before giving in and practically begging the Doctor for a go. The pair had even taken to timing eachother around the maze of the Tardis corridors.

Rose, however, preferred to watch and laugh at their antics, after falling over backwards on her first go and having to endure teasing references to the episode for days afterwards.

"You'll feel better if you get up, y'know…." The Doctor leaned against her doorframe.

Rose put the pillow over her head.

"Thought we'd go to Miiiya today. The people have purple skin and four arms," he coaxed.

Something stirred in Rose's hazy recollections of the night before. "Didn't we see one of them yesterday?" she said, voice muffled by the pillow.

"Yeah. That's what gave me the idea. Haven't been there for a bit. Anyway, I know you'll like it. " He paused. "Plenty of scope for SHOPPING."

Rose emerged, smiling.

OK, yes, I know, the whole spacehopper idea is random! I suppose it's because my brother's just got one… everyone get out there and buy one because they are SOOO MUCH FUN! Anyway, the idea of David Tennant on such a spacehopper came to me mysteriously in a dream…

Also I've gotta thank my bro for being my random alien names generator!


	2. Chapter 2

The planet Miiiya seemed like one big shopping mall. Rose was instantly reminded of Satelite 5; the place had a vast, but closed in feel.

The Tardis landed in a huge square, that would have been similar to a human town centre if the whole area hadn't been surrounded by a gigantic metal-framed structure. Harsh white sunlight shone down through the panes of darkened glass.

The Doctor explained that the purpose of the "shell", which covered the entire city, was to protect the Myvian people from the harmful rays of the sun. Less than a century ago, the inhabitants had been able to live in the open air like humans, but as the ozone layer was damaged, this became too dangerous and now all the huge settlements were under cover.

"If only your lot could see this…" the Doctor commented softly, looking around, and Rose knew he was talking about humans from her own time.

"This planet used to be so beautiful," he continued, suddenly sounding quite sad and remorseful, "Before they destroyed it with all their technology and pollution."

But then he snapped back to his usual cheery self, and began to lead the way through the busy streets, seemingly familiar with this area. The two humans followed him, both eager to begin exploring.

Rose was fascinated by the four-armed aliens surrounding her, and in between taking in the sights and sounds of the shopping centre they were passing through, she had to stop herself from staring at them.

Although there was a great diversity in their species, and the tone of their purple skin varied, they were taller on average than humans, with majestic, slightly feline features. The double sets of arms altered their balance subtly, so that they weaved from side to side gently when they walked. Nobody seemed surprised by the three strangers, and after a while Rose began to notice other humanoid creatures in the multicultural crowd.

It turned out that Jack, like the Doctor, had been here before, and he was keen to check out some of his old haunts. Namely, two pubs and a large weapons store. Rose, however, was determined to allocate time for shopping, and they decided to split up. She was stunned when the Doctor agreed to accompany her.

"You? _Shopping?_ With me?"

"Why ever not?" he said, grinning.

"Bad move!" Jack laughed, heading off down an alleyway. "She'll try to choose clothes for you!"

"No chance of that," the Doctor said, and they set off in the opposite direction.

As she window-shopped, Rose tried to discover what would force a 900 year-old Time Lord, who usually complained vehemently when dragged along into "mundane" and "boring" situations, into shopping with a 19 year-old human. Especially taking into account all their past quibbles about fashion sense.

"Actually, there's someone I want to try and find," he said, but refused to disclose more about this mystery friend. Rose pestered him furiously for the next ten minutes, to no avail. Only when she had lapsed into a sulky silence did he reveal : "Jack will like her."

Rose, surprised to actually receive an answer, stopped. "And what about me?"

"Well, she reminds me a bit of your mum. Talks a lot. About everything. And when she gets angry…"

"Watch your mouth!"

The Doctor stepped back out of Rose's reach, looking ever-so-slightly alarmed.

After meeting up with Jack, the trio were walking back through the city centre to the Tardis, after a long, action-packed (and, for Rose, shopping-packed) day, when there was a sudden loud yell. The Doctor spun around, grinning as he recognised the voice.

Approaching from behind was a female Myvian. She was strikingly beautiful, in an alien way, tall and slim. Her skin had a lilac hue, and her slightly feline-looking features were accentuated by a shock of short, glaringly white hair framing her face. Amber eyes burned at them.

"Doctor?" The tone was confident, but with a hint of uncertainty.

"Bella!" the Doctor replied enthusiastically, beaming.

"I knew it!" Teeth as vibrantly white as her hair flashed in her face, and the woman bounded forwards into the Doctor's arms. "I picked up the signal from the Tardis a few hours ago…" She laughed as he swung her in a circle, revealing to the watching pair that the spiked hairdo gave way into a long, shimmering white curtain of hair. Beside Rose, Jack was gaping.

All four of the female's hands gripped the Doctor's shoulders as she surveyed him. "Wow. You've changed a lot!" she exclaimed. "What've you been up to then? Hope you've been keeping off the tequilas now –"

"Oh, y'know," said the Doctor, a tad sheepishly, "Been here and there…" He raised his eyebrows, gesturing down at his body. "You like?"

"Love it! Very sexy.." She slapped his bum ostentatiously, raising her own bleached brows in response, accompanied with a coy look. The Doctor glanced over to Rose and Jack, who were now looking slightly jealously at the newcomer.

"Sorry, I'm being rude again," he said. "Rose, Jack, this is my old friend, Belliquiissima. Bella, Rose and Jack."

"Hello. Nice to meet you," Bella said, giving them both another dazzling smile, and a surprisingly firm handshake. Jack jumped when presented with two hands; he had been busy admiring Bella's navel, which was pierced with several spear-like silver pins.

An hour later they were all seated in a nearby bar, and Bella and the Doctor were still talking non-stop. Rose had at first decided to give them some space to allow them to catch up, but now she was bored with only Jack's company, whose only topics for conversation were Bella, Tequilas and more Bella.

Rose, too, was intrigued by the bold, vivacious and feisty Myvian woman. It transpired that Bella was part of an organisation akin to a police force on this planet. From what Rose had caught of the conversation, she was an adventurer and a bit of a dare-devil, but oddly enough she had never travelled with the Doctor. Rose shuffled across the seat, closer to him, hoping to join in.

"…and I think you should grow your hair. I liked it long before." Bella's accent varied between a Texan drawl and something vaguely eastern-European, perhaps Polish, thought Rose, trying to picture the Doctor with long locks.

"It's a pain, though. Someone set fire to it once!" Almost unconsciously he ran a hand through his tousled brown hair.

"Dead romantic, though…" Bella countered, seemingly engaged in a staring match with him.

"You should have seen his hair before this. It was cropped," Rose said, smiling.

"When?" Bella looked puzzled. "Hang on, are we talking more than one regeneration here? Exactly _how long_ has it been?"

"Like I said, stuff's happened." The Doctor looked slightly uncomfortable. Rose doubted that Bella knew about the Time War. "I met you in my eighth incarnation, this is my tenth…"

Before very long, Bella had discovered the extent of his absence from Miiiya. "You promised you'd visit!" she said fiercely, and one of her hands shot out like a snake and slapped him.

"Told you she was like your mother," the Doctor muttered to Rose.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, it was unclear whether Bella had stayed in the Tardis or not. But it seemed that she and the Doctor shared a love of getting up early, and as a sleepy Rose made her way to breakfast, she met Bella already on her way out.

"I'm off to work. Don't let him leave without saying goodbye, alright? See ya!" was her cheery greeting.

Jack received an equally light-hearted "Morning, hunky!" as he emerged from his own room.

"She is NOT my girlfriend!" the Doctor replied, slightly defensively, to his companion's inevitable questions. "She never has been. We're just friends."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Oh, I've heard that one before."

"So why haven't you been to visit her for ages then?" Rose asked over her toast.

The Doctor looked down at the table, and Rose felt suddenly guilty, as she suspected the reason.

"After the time war…" he began softly, and Rose's suspicions were confirmed, "….I wasn't ready. She just….reminded me of a previous life. Bella can be a little bit insensitive sometimes."

"I think she's expecting you to hang around for a bit," said Rose, wanting to lift the mood.

"Well, yeah. D'you mind?"

"'Course not. Plenty more shops to explore yet!"

"I don't mind hanging around either. Rose is right. There _IS_ more to explore," Jack said with a twinkle in his eye.

"And I don't mind if you… make a move on Bella," the Doctor replied to Jack's unspoken question, and both men grinned. "But I'm warning you now, you might've met your match in her…"

Jack merely grinned even wider.

But as it turned out, they would be meeting up with Bella sooner than first thought. They had barely stepped out of the Tardis when the Doctor's mobile phone rang.

This set Rose off into giggles; she had secretly changed his ringtone to the _Eastenders _soundtrack. She tried to revert to an innocent face as he gave her a look, and when that failed, she began to wonder who was calling him. She didn't know many people who would have the phone number of a time-travelling alien.

The Doctor ended the call, and turned to face them. "You two up for an adventure?"

"Involving what, exactly?"

He grinned. "How about a shape-shifting alien loose in the national police HQ?"


	4. Chapter 4

The Doctor had talked his way into the rather Fort Knox-like compound with the help of his psychic paper. Rose, who had developed a thing about high-tech gadgetry since meeting him, was slightly disappointed at the sight of the solitary, plain concrete building, and felt it was a bit of an anti-climax.

But on entry she soon cheered up.

The floor and walls were made of a black, stony substance not unlike marble, which reflected the light so that the whole area seemed to radiate a strange glow.

At the back of the large entrance room, there was a bubble of black glass, through which a Myvian could be seen surveying a huge bank of security screens. More black panels of glass slid back and forth to admit more people to and from the already bustling reception area.

Rose grinned. "This is like a 5-star hotel!"

Jack whistled in appreciation, but she couldn't tell if it was because of the sophisticated décor, or a rather striking male Myvian who had just walked by.

"Yeah, it's all a bit swish, innit? Very Star Wars an' all that. " the Doctor said. "Mind you, it's not so glam if you're a prisoner."

"And that's said from experience, I suppose, knowing the trouble you get yourself into," said Rose.

"Or maybe just because I know everything," he replied teasingly. "But I got banged up in here within half an hour of my first visit. Bella was sent to interrogate me. Not that she got very far, since I hadn't _actually _done anything wrong, I only… "

"Talk of the devil," said Jack suddenly, as Bella appeared at one of the doorways, and came sprinting towards them. She looked uncharacteristically flustered.

"There you are," she said with obvious relief.

"Where's your little shape-shifting problem then?" the Doctor said brightly.

"That's the problem," Bella said. "We don't know."

She directed them through the door she'd just emerged from. She pressed her hand against a white circle on the glass, which glowed, and with an affirmative beep the door slid back.

"Fingerprint recognition, or DNA?" Jack wanted to know.

"Fingerprints. And that's another part of the problem," Bella explained, as she led them down various passageways.

"The shape-shifter escaped nearly two hours ago. It can change at will into the appearance of anyone it sees. A couple of years ago, we had swipe cards, in which case the creature would have been trapped, because it can't replicate solid objects. But because of the semi-telepathic link it forms with its subjects brain, the likeness even extends to fingerprints, potentially enabling it to have access to every room in the building."

As they descended a second flight of stairs, Rose was beginning to realise how big the HQ was; it continued deep underground.

"At the moment, we've got it contained in Sector 24. At least, we _hope_ we have. There haven't been any reports of unusual behaviour in any other sectors."

"What sort of behaviour?" Rose enquired.

"Aggression, mainly. But otherwise it's almost impossible to tell the difference. As well as imitating the voice, some people are saying it can impersonate personality as well…"

"So what type of shape-shifter are we talking then?" the Doctor asked.

"A Healdon. That's where I thought you could help, Doctor. Do you know them?"

"I've come across them before," he said, then frowned. "But what's a species like that doing _here_?"

Bella waved her hands around in a display of agitation. "I don't know," she said.

The Doctor's serious expression deepened as they reached the entrance to Sector 24. Beneath the sign, it read simply: "Laboratories".

"Now this is too much of a coincidence," Rose heard him murmur.

There were extra precautions being taken at the only entrance to this sector. Two Myvian officers, dressed in shining black, and both armed, were guarding the double doors. After a few minutes of intensive questioning on both sides, they were admitted.

"Well I suppose the best place to start would be the original holding area –" Bella started, then the clatter of footsteps on the stone floor halted her.

A male Myvian came sweeping around the corner towards them. He was tall and imposing, wearing a floor length coat (not surprisingly, black) with a high collar that reached the tips of his ears. His skin was such a deep purple that it appeared nearly black; but it was his fiery red eyes which completed his intimidating appearance. To Rose he looked like the devil incarnate.

"Officer!" barked the bat out of hell.

"Commander…" Bella scooted up to him, raising interlocked hands in a kind of salute.

The Myvian pulled her aside and began speaking to her in a low, abrupt tone, which made it sound like she was being reprimanded. All the while the menacing eyes regarded the newcomers with a mixture of interest, suspicion and hostility. The Doctor met his gaze, and Rose felt a glimmer of triumph when the Myvian lowered his eyes after a few seconds.

With a final audible "I want this _sorted_.", the commander strode briskly out of sight into the silent depths of Sector 24.

"Problems?" the Doctor asked lightly. Bella swore under her breath, once more looking rebellious.

"He's just worried about his_ reputation_ if this gets out." She sighed, then took a deep breath, composing herself and returning with speed to her usual tough exterior. "Is there a way of preventing the Healdon's metamorphism?"

The Doctor thought for a second. "It's possible that by decreasing the indicension factor of time and suspending the causitive…. Basically, yes, I think so," he replied to the puzzled faces around him. "With the Tardis, yes. But how we'd capture a shape-shifter is a whole different problem."

Jack glanced around the deserted corridors. "Hey, Doc, you could fly the Tardis in here, right?"

"This whole compound is surrounded by a force field," Bella interjected.

"I shouldn't worry, the Tardis is capable of – " The rest of the Doctor's words were drowned out by a sudden shattering of glass. Close. Jack whipped out his blaster, and Bella was suddenly clutching a complicated, nasty-looking pistol, using three hands to manipulate its various controls in preparation for firing.

The sound of footsteps crunching broken glass penetrated the sudden silence. Heading away. The Doctor sprang into action, sprinting cat-like down the west corridor, to where it turned 90 degrees into another. Flattening himself against the wall, he inched forwards and peered round.

The window panel adjacent to "Lab 14ΞǾ9" had been cracked. That surprised him; it was similar to bulletproof glass and would take great force to damage. But the source of the glass was the overhead lights, resulting in near darkness where the bulbs nearest to him gave out. He couldn't see anyone, but his senses told him that someone – or _something_ – was close.

Then, through the window, he caught movement in the darkened room beyond. Then sound – a muffled cry.

The Doctor wasn't happy with this situation. Of course he wasn't in the least bit frightened; if anything, he was worried for the creature. As much as he liked Bella, he wasn't generally fond of the rest of her race. They were the most powerful species in this galaxy, and knew it. They reminded him of things he'd rather not think about.

And now, a supposedly "lesser" sentient being was in their laboratories, being hunted down. And he intended to stop it. He strode over to the door, and without hesitation, pushed it open. Behind him, Bella gasped.

…

…

…OK, finally something closer to action…. Please tell me what you think everybody ! Chapter 5 coming up. (Blame my mum for putting the whole bat out of hell thing into my head)


	5. Chapter 5

Ok I seem to have developed an environmental thing here… probably resulting from my 4 days at an eco – convention, lol. And oddly I've been having probs spelling "laboratory"… Thank god for spellchecker.

* * *

"Fina!" Bella cried, rushing forwards to the female Myvian lying crumpled on the floor. The woman was clutching at her throat and gasping. "What happened?"

As Bella helped her into a sitting position, Fina pointed feebly into the darkened laboratory behind her. Jack, ready for action, began making his way around the workbenches, and the Doctor followed suit, taking the other side of the room.

Rose knelt down cautiously beside Bella, aware of the stench of spilt chemicals.

"It – it looked like one of the guards – but it kept _changing_ – then it attacked me – "

"I thought they'd evacuated the sector! Why are you still here, Fina?"

"I've got an experiment going. It can't be tampered with," Fina explained, coughing, before struggling to her feet with determination. There was a small glass tank on a table nearby, and she began fussing over its contents. Bella turned on a nearby lamp, and Rose saw a blue gooey substance in the container, floating in a pale yellow liquid.

Fina had inserted a tube-like instrument into the tank, and, after checking the dial on the side, added three pellets from a bottle in her pocket, and sighed in relief.

"It's alright. It's not been disturbed too much."

The blob was now moving, and Rose realised that it was actually _alive_. It pressed itself against the glass of the tank, making a splat shape, as if trying to escape.

"What is - ?"

"Leave it, Fina," Bella snapped, interrupting Rose's question. "We need to get out of here." She switched off the lamp decisively, throwing the room back into gloom as the Doctor and Jack appeared in the doorway.

"Nothing," Jack called, "It must've escaped into the corridor on the other side."

Bella was practically pushing Rose and Fina out of the room, despite the latter's protests about leaving it in a state like this and her "experiment". She insisted on locking the door. It suddenly occurred to Rose that whatever was in that tank, Bella didn't want the three foreigners to know about it.

"I think we should split," Bella said, all at once pragmatic and in control. "Doctor, go and get the Tardis."

Rose knew that the Doctor didn't take lightly to being bossed around, so she was amazed when he nodded in agreement without complaint.

"Rose, you're with me. And Jack, I'm sure you won't mind joining Bella…" Despite the situation, Jack's eyes twinkled.

The Doctor suggested that they escort Fina out of the sector, but Bella was adamant that she should report to the commander first. The minute they were out of the HQ compound, Rose told the Doctor what she'd witnessed in the lab.

"There's something they're not telling us," he said, before she'd even aired her own fears. "The whole race is too greedy for their own good. Or anyone else's. They're not satisfied by anything. Always searching for something more, experimenting with any technology they can get their hands on…. And with any species they find."

"You think that's what they're up to with this Healdon thingy then?"

"It certainly looks that way," he said, getting out his key to unlock the door of the Tardis. "As much as I trust Bella, I'd never leave her in the Tardis on her own."

"You think she'd…"

The Doctor looked at Rose sadly.

"The atmospheric disaster changed these people totally. They've had to be adaptable and ruthless to survive. This planet won't last forever, they know it but they don't want to admit it. So they keeping running, trying to escape their fate."

She followed him into the Tardis. "Hmm. I keep going all melancholic all of a sudden. Right then!" He clapped his hands together and focused his attention on the console, setting the flight co-ordinates.

"Now," the Doctor said, typing on a keyboard with his left hand and fiddling various buttons with his right, "I'm not sure the Tardis will – pull that lever down for me, would you – I'm not sure she'll appreciate being forced through a force field, so – "

The ship shuddered violently, and Rose, not for the first time, would have been flung across the control room if she hadn't hung on to the lever. After a few seconds more, the Tardis came to a halt with a slightly more graceful wobble.

The Doctor, typically enthusiastic for adventure, was almost out of the door in the time Rose's brain told her feet to get moving. They'd landed in a different part of the sector, with walls the colour Rose usually associated with the sea. There were signs and warning notices all over the walls, with windows giving a view over various laboratories and testing zones. The whole place was deserted.

But not for long. Like a reoccurring bad dream, the commander appeared on the scene, flanked by two guards. He looked the Tardis up and down, gestured for the guards to lower their weapons, and then locked eyes with the Doctor. Rose knew confrontation was inevitable.

The commander didn't bother with formalities. "How did that thing get in here?"

"Oh, I'll spare you the details. Bit complicated."

Rose groaned inwardly, realising the Doctor was going into one of his deliberately awkward moods. She avoided the commander's stare and sidled away from the guards, deciding to have a quick scout around for Bella and Jack while the Doctor resolved his parking problems.

She'd reached the junction of the corridors and was just about to turn back when a shadow down one of the passageways caught her eye.

"Jack? Bella?" She moved forwards, and the shadow disappeared. "Who's there?"

Cautiously, she walked to the turning, and looked around, just in time to see a figure run around the next bend. Rose glanced back in the direction of the Doctor's voice. Running off on her own had got her into enough scrapes on previous occasions. Then, as she dithered, Jack appeared at the end of the passage.

"Oh, it **_is_** you!" Rose called, relieved, and started towards him. Jack returned her smile, then turned his head as if startled by something down the corridor to his left. And promptly disappeared again.

"Jack, wait!" Somehow worried by his lack of greeting, Rose ran after him to the corner, and chased him down a long straight section, to yet another bend. "Jack, what - ?"

He paused, about fifty metres ahead of her. "Hurry!" he yelled, and was off again before she could argue. Getting more puzzled by the second, she followed him, now at a more reluctant jog. He didn't wait but always stayed ahead, so that she only caught a glimpse of him at each new turn, showing her which route to take.

Left, right, then right again and she lost sight of him. Gasping for breath, she halted at a crossroads, feeling increasingly stupid as common sense caught up with her. The place was like a rabbit warren, and she was going to get herself lost. If she wasn't already.

"JAAACK!" Her voice echoed back to her, but the corridors leading off from her path remained empty. Then cold realisation hit her. It hadn't even occurred to her that what she had thought was her friend, could have been the Healdon.

Nervous now, she turned back into the tunnel she'd just emerged from, making a mental note of the signs on the walls so that she'd be able to show the Doctor where Jack – if it **_was_** him – had gone.

That was if she could get back to where she'd left him. She wasn't sure she could remember the way, even if she did spend every day in a timeship with a similar maze of corridors and rooms.

Rose suddenly felt an odd prickling sensation somewhere around her brain, spreading downwards, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Someone was behind her. She wasn't sure if a tiny sound had unconsciously alerted her, or if it was just instinct, but somehow she just knew.

She turned slowly around, and came face to facewith herself.

* * *

Now this is possibly the bit where it gets nasty… R & R please people! 


	6. Chapter 6

Rose stood there for a second or two in shock, just staring. And the thing that looked like her just stared back calmly. It was exactly like looking at herself in the mirror. Then the Healdon's face – her face – twisted into a smile, and the spell was broken.

Rose turned and ran. The scream that she been stifling sudden erupted as a call for help as she tore down the corridors. She could hear the Healdon behind her… trainer-clad feet beating out a rhythm on the stone over the sound of her own.

She didn't know where she was going, but now that she was running the adrenaline didn't seem to want her to stop. The creature was catching her up; she heard the squeak of rubber as it turned the corner, metres behind her. She briefly considered facing it and hoping it didn't try to kill her, then was about to dismiss the idea when the decision was made for her.

The Healdon shoved her from behind and Rose was thrown off balance, her shoulder slamming into the wall. She cried out in pain then tensed herself, ready for combat, determined not to give up without a fight. But none came.

To her surprise the Healdon was now the one running away, and fast. Rose got up and followed it gingerly, keeping as large a distance between them as possible while she could still see where it was headed. She felt an intense sensation of deja-vu, and the thought crossed her mind that maybe, like the episode with "Jack" before, this was another ploy to get her on her own. The Healdon never once looked back.

Then the Doctor's voice came echoing down the corridor. Rose sped up, but ahead of her, the Healdon did the same as it turned the corner. She heard a "Where did you get to?" then the next second the passageway opened into another junction and she stopped abruptly as she was confronted with the pair in front of her.

The Doctor surveyed Rose and her lookalike. He didn't seem overly perturbed, Rose noted with frustration. She opened her mouth to speak, to tell him to do something, say something, just stop standing there, but the Healdon, barely two metres away, got there first.

"Doctor! Help me, it's her, she's pretending to be me –"

"NO!" Rose, with a shock, realised the Healdon's plan. "No, Doctor, look, it's me, Rose!"

"She's lying! I'M ROSE!"

"Doctor, don't listen –"

"Please, Doctor, don't you recognise me?" Rose felt sick at the sound of her own voice coming from the Healdon, whose tone had turned pleading.

"Doctor –" Both versions of Rose spoke simultaneously.

"Be quiet, both of you," the Doctor snapped suddenly, his voice full of quiet authority, silencing the pair. He walked towards them, stopping a few feet away.

"You can't _both_ be Rose Tyler," he said, sounding vaguely amused, but his look remained deadly serious.

He glanced from Rose to the Healdon. Rose met his gaze, straining with all her being to convey her words through her eyes. She had been wary when she had first learnt of his telepathic qualities, but for once she wished he could read her thoughts.

"It's lucky I can tell the difference," the Doctor said calmly.

And without warning, moving so quickly that neither had time to react, he reached out and grabbed Rose's hoodie, yanking her forcefully towards him.

Taken by surprise, Rose yelped. She was glad her had chosen her, but he didn't have to be so heavy-handed, she thought. And then she realised.

"It's alright, Rose," the Doctor was saying. But not to her. He was speaking to the Healdon.

"I'll deal with her. Now, I need you to find Jack –"

"No! Wait!" Rose struggled against the Doctor's powerful grip.

"Quiet!" he said brusquely, his grip tightening, and his hand closed over her mouth, muffling her protests.

Rose stopped, tears pricking her eyelids. He'd never used that tone with her before, and it both frightened and upset her.

" – and go back to the Tardis," the Doctor was saying. The Healdon was smiling in relief, for once the emotion genuine.

Rose felt her anger rising. She couldn't – _wouldn't_ – let this impostor steal her Doctor. She tried to protest, tried to wrench her arms from his grasp, but it was no use.

"Rose, go. Find Jack…" the Doctor hurriedly told the Healdon, who nodded and turned to leave. The Doctor pushed Rose hard, manoeuvring her in the opposite direction.

There was a door open to their left, and he bundled her through it roughly as she tried to resist. Rose landed on the floor of the small room beyond, not physically injured, but her feelings hurt.

The Doctor peered back through a crack in the door for a moment, watching as the Healdon turned the corner. Then he turned, and looked at her.

* * *

I do love leaving it on a bit of a cliffhanger! If you could call it that, lol. All comments gratefully appreciated... :-D 


	7. Chapter 7

Rose was quite scared now.

"Doctor, please! It's me, I swear, I'm still the Rose you met in that shop basement –"

"Shhh." He moved towards her, holding her arms as she grabbed at him. "It's alright, Rose. I wasn't lying when I said I knew the difference between you and the Healdon." His voice was now gentle, his face concerned.

"You did?" Rose breathed, trying to quash her tears and act like she'd known this all along.

"Of course! I'd know you anywhere." He drew her into a hug. "I'm sorry I upset you. It's better that the Healdon doesn't know that I can recognise it."

Rose accepted the embrace, resting her head against his shoulder, feeling his presence calming her.

"It looked so much like me…I mean, every little detail. It gave me the creeps. I dunno how you could see any difference."

"Appearance doesn't matter as much to a Time Lord. It's more about what's up here." He tapped his temple.

"Can you really tell what I'm thinking then?"

The Doctor grinned cheekily. "Only to a certain extent. You'd know if I was reading your mind."

Rose raised an eyebrow at the remark. But the Healdon was not far from her thoughts for long. "Why did you send it to find Jack? Why send it to the Tardis if it's dangerous?"

"Well, like I said, if we can lure it inside, and trap it, I should be able to use the Tardis to prevent its metamorphis until we can return it to its planet."

"Planet?"

"Yep. Other side of this solar system. Big tourist attraction. Healdons are fascinating in their natural habitat," he said enthusiastically.

"Well, personally I don't see the attraction," she replied. The Doctor moved back to the doorway, checking the coast was still clear. "So what happened with you and the commander?" she said, with a teasing smile. "Since you're still in one piece…"

The Doctor managed to look a little sheepish. " I was right, " he began, but then he took on a serious expression, instead of the grin which usually accompanied a statement like this. "The Healdon was part of an experiment involved in the creation of drugs to alter people's appearance. The commander is head of a team which was doing tests on it, looking at DNA… they think it could 'help' the police force, but they can't even _begin_ to understand what they're _dealing_ with…"

He frowned, looking quite angry for a moment. Rose quickly gave him an _And?_ look.

"Anyway, to the point. Apparently, they were conducting some other tests this morning, spatial awareness quotients I think, when what should turn up on the screens but the Tardis…. That's how Bella knew where to find us. The commander's convinced that we're the cause of all this. He claims that when we arrived, the Healdon started behaving strangely, which led to it's escape…"

He gazed at Rose, as if expecting her to make a comment. She looked back, nonplussed. "So…?"

"So it means that creature knows the Tardis is here! I mean, it was always suspected they were aware of time dimensions, but it was never proved…" The Doctor grinned in excitement. To divert him from lecture mode, Rose took his hand, and they set off for the Tardis.

The time machine was actually in sight before they became aware of other signs of life. The sound of running footsteps. Rose tensed automatically, and the Doctor, sensing her discomfort, folded his hand around hers, and they stood, together, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

The next second, Jack came hurtling out of a corridor just ahead, blaster secure in hand, and made straight for the Tardis, without even noticing them. In his haste, his Tardis key slipped from his fingers, dangling by its chain, and he was forced to temporarily pocket his gun to recover it. It was only then that he noticed his two friends.

Jack yelped in surprise, dropping the key altogether as the blaster was reinstated in his fist. On recognising them, his hand twitched as if to lower the weapon, but, still wary, he kept it level as they advanced towards him.

"S'alright, Jack," the Doctor said calmly, typically undeterred by the common scenario of a gunbarrel pointed at him. "It's only us."

Jack let his arms fall, then tensed again. "How can I be sure of that?"

"Because if I was a Healdon, I wouldn't know that we first met in London, 1944, in a hospital full of mutant patients," the Doctor said. "Honestly, why won't anybody believe me when I say who am?"

Rose didn't waste time. "Have you seen it?"

"Yeah. We joined up with a few others to track it down and almost had it cornered, but it changed so fast it was hard to know who was who. I did a scan on my wrist-com so I could fetch you guys, then it jumped me."

Jack glanced back down the corridor. "It was following me, but I think I managed to lose it –"

The words were barely out of his mouth before the tall, striking figure of Bella appeared at the junction opposite to the one he had taken. An order to stop was on Jack's lips as she walked towards them, but the Doctor laid a hand on his arm to prevent him, able to recognise the real thing.

"I was just looking for – WATCH OUT!" she yelled suddenly, pointing down the passage behind the trio, who all spun round just in time to catch a glimpse of a Myvian now retreating hurriedly around the bend. The Healdon had copied Bella's appearance.

"Tardis, everyone," the Doctor said, holding the door open.

"Right now, I think we all need a cup of tea," he said, once they were all safely inside the timeship. Jack decided that he wasn't carrying enough weapons, and disappeared into the depths of the Tardis to add to the mini-armoury that he usually carried with him ; he was unnerved by his encounter with the shape-shifter.

The Doctor and Bella discussed plans over tea and biscuits. Rose listened, trying not to make a face as Bella added a rather noxious-looking substance to her beverage, turning it a sludgy grey colour and consistency. She felt rather useless, so after a few minutes she went to find Jack.

Rose returned to the console room a short while later in search of the Doctor, but when she got there she found only Bella, mooching around the controls. She felt a twinge of suspicion, remembering what the Doctor had told her earlier. Then she mentally reprimanded herself ; she supposed she was a bit on edge today.

The Myvian looked up with a smile as she approached. "Can you fly this thing?"

"Not really. I help the Doctor sometimes, I know what some of these bits and pieces do," Rose replied, not wanting to sound totally incapable. "Sometimes I don't think even _he_ knows everything about the Tardis," she continued, with a fond smile, reminded of when he'd first brought her back home, _12 months_ instead of 12 hours later than intended.

Bella ran a long, spidery finger down the side of the main screen, then reached out with another hand to poke at one of the dials. Rose felt an almost irresistible urge to tell her to stop. She must have got it from the Doctor ; she knew how he disliked people fiddling with his beloved ship.

"Time And Relative Dimensions In Space," Bella murmured, then fixed Rose with her fiery gaze. And Rose felt that prickling, invasive, slowly seeping feeling inside her head again.

Her vision swam for a second, and then Bella was right in front of her. Rose became aware of how much taller she was.

"You're going to help me get out of here."

And somehow, Rose wasn't very surprised when the Healdon drew Bella's gun from its holster and pointed it at her head.

* * *

I seem to be throwing in sophis-sounding terms everywhere. Don't know if they make any sense, so sorry if they cause offence. Lol, I'm rhyming again. Probably due to my excitement at the new series coming out WAHEY! 


	8. Chapter 8

The Healdon pressed the gun into her back, giving her a slight shove towards the console. Rose tried to think quickly. Attempt to escape, or wait for help? Surely, one of the other three would appear soon, and then she wouldn't have to risk running from yet another gun-toting alien.

"Move." The gun dug into her hoodie once more, and reluctantly she moved forwards.

Acutely aware of the creature behind her, she felt sudden movement; well, maybe not movement, but almost like a shift in the atmosphere. She turned her head marginally, trying to get a view behind her. What she saw was a very familiar trainer-clad foot. And an ankle with pinstriped trousers.

The Healdon leaned forward, and she tensed, feeling cool breath ruffle her hair. "You think he'll come and save you, don't you?" came the Doctor's voice, softly, with a tinge of amusement.

_He will_. Rose's thoughts sounded confident, but when she tried voicing them, the effect wasn't the same. "He'll stop you. You…you won't escape."

The quiet laugh sent shivers down her spine. Not because she was scared, but because it was a sound she knew so well. Seeing the Healdon with the appearance of her best friend was messing with her head more than it had with the likeness of Bella…or even herself. And it was almost as if the creature knew that.

"Stupid ape." Rose closed her eyes. On the rare occasions that the Doctor did make a remark like that, it was never said with such a malicious tone. The Healdon moved to stand in front of her, and she opened her eyes with something close to apprehension.

She saw the Doctor's face smiling down at her, but it was a cruel, hard smile, which didn't reach his large brown eyes. But it didn't have the desired effect on Rose. She'd never seen the Doctor with that expression, certainly not directed at her, and it distanced him from the identical creature facing her.

But, now she looked, _not_ identical. She began to feel suddenly brighter as she noticed imperfections. She'd studied the Doctor's face intently many a time, taking in his new appearance, trying to read his thoughts. And, often, just because she liked gazing on his handsome features.

And all at once this impostor seemed to look nothing like the Doctor. Especially since the latter was now standing barely a metre behind it.

The Healdon hadn't detected this sudden appearance, and only realised when Rose's eyeline gave away the Doctor's presence. The creature hissed in shock, and as it jumped behind Rose, the gun pressed to her neck, it morphed again… and became the commander.

"Hello!" the Doctor said cheerily. "I don't think we've met. I'm the Doctor."

The Healdon shifted, but said nothing. Rose couldn't see its face, but she could imagine the look on the commander's features.

The Doctor tilted his head slightly to one side as if in puzzlement. "Errrm… is there any particular reason for you holding Rose hostage?"

"If you do not help me escape, then she will be hurt." The harsh tone was very similar to that used by the voice's real owner. But the speech sounded somehow stilted, as if the Healdon wasn't used to communicating like this. Or maybe it was betraying fear.

"And where would you go? Bit far from your own planet, aren't you?" The Doctor paused for a second. "We could take you back there."

"No." The word was a snarl. But the Healdon stopped as footsteps announced Bella and Jack's arrival.

Both froze as they saw the scene. Bella scrabbled suddenly inside her jacket, then stared. "My gun!"

"Care to tell me why not?" The Doctor continued to the Healdon. It merely hissed at him, distracted by Jack, who was clearly fighting the temptation to draw a random weapon and zap the creature. Rose was yanked backwards a few more steps.

"It's not loaded," Bella said suddenly, indicating the weapon the Healdon was still gripping. She seemed to be attempting calm nonchalance, but it was still obvious that she was bluffing.

The Healdon took no notice, but it looked confused. The Doctor crossed to the console, and flipped a switch or two, almost as if he couldn't be bothered anymore. But Rose didn't miss the meaningful look he gave Bella.

The Doctor folded his arms, and leaned back. He was doing what she thought of as his "go all enigmatic and freak the enemy out" strategy. Rose's captor continued to back away slowly.

"This ship is semi-sentient, you know," the Doctor said. "And she doesn't like violence. So if I press **_this_**…." – he pointed to a small dark button on the console – " ..Then she'll know exactly where to aim this frēosan beam…" – he pointed helpfully to an indent in the ceiling some way above his head – " …which, _in case you didn't already know_, will render you totally immobile." He finished this explanation with a beatific smile.

"And Rose knows just how much I like to press buttons…"

Rose took her chance, and dived out of the way. Somewhere above her, a gun went off ; she wasn't sure who's, as three of the room's occupants seemed to be holding one. There was a sudden whine, and a jet of white light shot out of indent.

The Doctor appeared at Rose's side, and hauled her to her feet. Bella had run to the console and was standing, hand on a lever. As the Doctor moved her towards the internal door for safety, Rose saw that the Healdon had also escaped the beam. Jack had a large weapon trained on the shape-shifter, who was now unarmed. Under stress, it backed away and morphed again as the Doctor and Jack closed in on it.

It seemed unsure who to copy, and the result was a Jack lookalike, in the Doctor's pinstriped suit, with Bella's long white hair. Rose, in spite of herself, had to stifle a giggle.

"This is too weird for words," Jack remarked drily.

The Healdon lunged at him suddenly, but the Doctor, just as fast, flicked his sonic screwdriver at it, and the creature yelped and recoiled as if scalded.

The Doctor shot Jack a look, and both simultaneously leaped forward, and grabbed the struggling Healdon by the arms. It cried out in frustration, morphing through several shapes with incredible speed, trying to shake them off.

But then the Doctor and Jack pushed together, and the creature was thrown forwards into the beam.

"Now, Bella!" the Doctor yelled.

The Healdon was already on its feet as Bella slammed the lever forwards. The light beam shone whiter than ever, and the creature froze like a rabbit in headlights. It began to glow, and let out an odd, gurgling, primal scream that sounded like a tape being played backwards.

The Doctor ran to the console beside Bella, and depressed another switch. The intensity of the beam decreased instantly, and the small group looked at the Healdon, suspended in time and space by the power of the Tardis.

The creature in front of them was now a writhing, pulsating, vaguely humanoid mass. Its skin, the colour of the night sky, rippled as limbs grew and shrank on its body. A body which had sudden grown to nearly 7 feet tall.

Its dark face scared Rose slightly, as its features distorted and changed constantly, and the Doctor, as if he knew what she was thinking, took her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"It's over now."

* * *

BUT IT'S NOT! Please tell me what you think... :-) 


	9. Chapter 9

Rose watched as the Doctor heaped sugar into his fourth – or was it his fifth – cup of tea, and then proceeded to raid the biscuit barrel. She sighed, wrapping her hands more tightly around her own cup. She loved the thrill and adventure of travelling with him, but sometimes a little bit of domesticity was welcome.

The Doctor plonked himself down next to her, draining half his cup in one go. Rose could tell he was watching her. Looking up, and finding herself the subject of those wonderful brown eyes, she blushed.

"What?"

He adopted a lop-sided grin. "Nothing."

They sat there in companionable silence until Jack returned, and predictably headed straight for the still-open biscuit tin.

"Sorted?" the Doctor said expectantly.

"Yep. That thing ain't getting out of here in a hurry." Jack helped himself to some coffee. "I gotta get me one of those things." As Bella came to lean against the doorway, he indicated her large rucksack.

The Doctor made no comment. Rose wasn't quite sure that he approved of Bella's gadget; whatever it was, it had enabled Jack and Bella to imprison the Healdon in the Tardis. Brain waves, or something, they'd said.

"Tea?" the Doctor said.

"Errr, no thanks…" Bella used her two left arms to hitch the clearly heavy rucksack onto her shoulder. "I… I'd better be off…I'll see you in the morning, yeah?" With that she left.

The Doctor looked after her for a moment, slightly puzzled, then shrugged and returned to scooping the sugar out of his tea.

* * *

Rose woke suddenly, without knowing why.

She rolled over and closed her eyes again, listening to the gentle background hum of the Tardis. Only to jerk awake again a few minutes later.

She was just jittery after the day's events, she told herself. Probably just the Doctor tinkering with the Tardis…. At _bloody 4am_, she thought. But all the same, her curiosity was roused.

The console room was empty. She padded sleepily back down the corridor, wondering what to do next, when something moved.

"Doctor?"

Now that _wasn't_ her imagination, her brain said stubbornly. Rose knocked, a little tentatively, on the Doctor's bedroom door, before opening it. He was flat out on his back, still in his suit. It was so rare to see him asleep that her doubts resurfaced, and she wondered if she should wake him at all. He did look sweet like that.

Her decision was made for her when he suddenly opened his eyes and jerked upright. "Rose? Something wrong?"

"Umm..." Now she felt _really_ stupid. "It's just… I think I saw something," she said lamely.

The Doctor stopped in the middle of ruffling his hair and looked at her more seriously. "Saw _what_?"

* * *

Seemingly anticipating her fears, the Doctor went straight to check on the Healdon. But as they turned the corner to the cell, he suddenly held his hand out, silently stopping her. Light poured from the room ahead. "Stay here," the Doctor murmured, going to investigate.

There were definite signs of activity. And no Healdon. But what interested the Doctor more was the machine registering brain waves lying on the workbench. It was halfway through its bi-cerebral cycle, he noted. And whoever's brain waves they were, something was wrong.

"DOCTOR!" Rose's yell diverted his attention. He ran to her side, but before she could even explain he heard the footsteps.

"It ran right behind me…"

"_Footsteps_," He said softly. Rose looked at him questioningly as they started down the corridor.

"I smell a rat. Well, not literally, I mean, 'cos the Tardis – sorry, I'm babbling again aren't I?"

Rose nodded.

"That thing isn't the Healdon. It doesn't _have_ footsteps."

"What do you mean, of course it does, I heard them earlier when it changed– "

His eyes darkened. "It can't change now. Not after what Bella did to it. She may have damaged its metamorphosing brain processes permanently in imprisoning it. I should have stopped her…"

"So…if its not…who is it then?"

"That's what we've gotta find out. Rose, go and check on – no, actually I'll come with you. The Healdon is still around here somewhere."

"But if it can't get a body, then what, it is like…floating around, or something…" Rose didn't like that idea at all.

Something banged ahead of them. Something which they both knew was the Tardis's front door. The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand, and they both ran.

* * *

Flinging the door open, the Doctor ran outside. The square, glowing with night-time lights, was empty.

The Doctor sighed. "No use. Whoever it was, they'll be long gone by now."

Rose began to feel uneasy, without knowing why. And then she felt a chill that wasn't the draught from outside. That prickling sensation was familiar.

"Doctor…" Her brain seemed to be very, very slow at processing this phrase. So _cold_…

"Yeah?" the Doctor replied absently, still staring disappointedly into the distance. A midnight chase though the streets would have been fun, he thought.

When Rose didn't continue to demand his attention, he turned around. She was standing, very still, in the doorway, a slight wind ruffling her hair. Staring at him.

"Rose?" She blinked once, slowly, as if it was an effort.

The Doctor found it very hard to stay calm when Rose was in danger, but somehow he managed to keep his voice level. "Can you hear me?" Gently he manoeuvred her back inside the Tardis, closed the door. Every second her eyes remained locked with his.

He took her hand, running his thumb over her palm, and cupped her face in his other hand, searching her eyes.

And without warning she hit him so hard that he was thrown backwards into the door.

* * *

After many weeks of stressful exam revision this chapter originated on the back of my CHD biology notes. What a cheerful topic that was. Anyway, now that this story is finally back on track, please tell me what you think! 


	10. Chapter 10

Rose watched with detachment as the Doctor recovered himself and straightened up. There was a rush in her ears, fire in her arms and legs, electricity coursing through her brain.

"Rose?" There was an edge of wariness in the Doctor's gentle tone as he stepped forward again. He seemed so far away, calling to her from the other side of a void. _So, so hard to hold on_… It was like Cassandra all over again.

She tried to move. Had to speak to him, somehow… they were passing the console. Rose couldn't remember how they'd got there. His hand was warm on her arm, guiding her out of the room. In his other hand was the sonic screwdriver. He was a threat.

_Don't control me_. She yanked her arm out of his grasp, facing him with fire in her eyes. Then she attacked.

Time rushed by in jumps and flashes. Minutes became seconds. She felt powerful, indestructible. As he slumped backwards against the console once more, she lunged again, grabbing and throwing him to the floor with barely any effort.

He dodged her kick, managing to scramble halfway to his feet. He was speaking, maybe even yelling, but she couldn't hear him.

She launched on him another time, but he caught her legs and pulled her down with him. Furious at his defiance, she lashed out viciously, seized his neck and shook him.

She didn't know what she was going to do. Maybe she wanted to kill him. Something inside her was struggling to be heard, but she quashed it down. He stopped resisting for a second and stared at her. Somehow that infuriated her more. He was meant to _fight_. He wasn't supposed to give up. He didn't.

* * *

She couldn't let go. Couldn't hold on. _I am bad wolf. Nothing can stop me._

But something was stopping her. Someone was holding her back. One kick dispatched the resistance. She targeted the Doctor once more, only to find the resistance had returned more forcefully.

A blue light. A high pitched whine. Ice seeping through her brain. And bad wolf was no more.

_

* * *

**(Blimey, have I gone dramatic! Hmm shall I be evil and leave it there? No, I'll be nice and try to explain some of this madness)**__

* * *

Breathing. Breathing is good. Breathing alive. But is it mine?_

Jack's face was inches from her own. As her eyes began to focus properly she could see the sonic screwdriver in his hand.

"Hey," he said quietly. "You all there now?"

"Jack…" Rose recognised her surroundings, the Tardis infirmary. She sat up slowly, feeling shivery and realising that she was still in her pyjamas.

"How are you feeling?"

"I…dunno. Jack… what's happening… where's the Doctor?"

Jack straightened up and paused in a way that nearly stopped her heart. "He's…alright. Bella's taken him… listen, he's gonna be fine, don't you worry."

Part of Rose had no idea what he was talking about, but another part that _did_ was rapidly surfacing. She looked down at herself, let out a gasping sob. There was bloodin her fingernails.

It was another 10 minutes before Jack managed to calm her down. As Rose wiped the tears away and tried to get a grip on herself, he looked her in the eye. "I know what you're like, Rose, but you've got to promise me that you won't go charging off. You've got to rest, your brain – "

She remembered. "Jack, I know what it was – "

"So do we." He walked over to a black, shiny box that looked vaguely like an old record player. Except that there were little waves running all over it, as though the whole thing was a living screen. "This is Bella's tri-cerebral myo-perietal machine."

"The brain-altering thingumy?" Rose remembered what the Doctor had said.

"Yeah… when Bella and me were tackling the Healdon she used it to stop its metamorphosing… but we think it did more than that. Without a physical state the Healdon exists only in essence. So we think it somehow managed to possess your mind. I don't know how it could have escaped..."

"So where is it now?"

"In here." Jack patted the instrument. Rose looked at the undulating brain waves with more clarity. "I managed to separate your brain patterns with the sonic screwdriver and transfer the Healdon to here."

Rose tried not to think about brains mixing up, especially as she could feel a headache coming on. Then infirmary door opened and her heart jumped. _Doctor? _It was Bella. The amber eyes glared at her underneath a deep frown.

* * *

Ok there is a slight attempt at dramatic irony here. Y'know I've just done an English AS and I've already forgotten exactly what that term means… Anyway, hope this starts to unravel things... 


	11. Chapter 11

Rose felt sick with guilt and nerves as she sat in the small waiting room with Jack. He'd done his best to comfort her, but she was inconsolable. Jack knew that however many times he told her it wasn't her fault, it wouldn't change how she felt. Only the Doctor could do that. So he sat there, close beside her on the futuristic sofa, in silence.

Rose had never imagined being so terrified at the prospect of meeting the Doctor. Terrible images of his battered body burnt across her vision. She stared at her hands, digging her fingernails into her jeans. Memories of a TV production of Macbeth she'd once seen suddenly flashed before her eyes. Of the blood, both reality and illusion, on Lady Macbeth's hands. Rose found herself fighting the urge to run and wash her own. And keep running.

More than anything, it was the thought of losing him. Her Doctor, who'd shared all those adventures with her. He may tease her about it, but he didn't seem to mind that sometimes she got in the way, or said stupid things. But why would he still want her when she'd actually tried to kill him?

The door handle was suddenly yanked downwards from outside, but the door opened in a contrastingly controlled manner. It was Bella. The Myvian woman now seemed to view her with barely-disguised hostility. In Bella's eyes, the incident was definitely Rose's fault. The eyes flashed at Rose again, who tried to avoid her stare.

"He wants to see you."

Jack got to his feet as Rose stood up. "Do you want me to….?"

"No." Rose breathed in deeply, trying to calm herself. "I've got to do this on my own."

Down the corridor. Third Right. Second Left. First Door. She'd played out the journey in her head. Three, Two, One, and she was there. She opened the door. Zero.

The room was large, the sound of the air-conditioning, present everywhere in this building, invading the silence. The Doctor was lying on a bed in the centre of the space, propped up by pillows. There were tubes leading into his arm. It may have been a totally separate planet, but it was all too similar to a human hospital for Rose's liking. Two lights pulsed gently on a monitor. One for each heart.

The bruises stood out against their white surroundings. As did the scratches on his neck. Rose dug her fingernails into her palms. The Doctor opened his eyes as she hovered at the end of the bed.

"I'm sorry Doctor. I'm s-sorry… I didn't…._I'm so so sorry_." Tears threatened. "I –"

"Shut up, Rose." She stood frozen, unable to move.

"Come here." He looked at her enigmatically, then wiggled a finger slightly, beckoning to her. Rose moved the four steps to his bedside, feeling numb.

"If you say sorry again, you're going to have to leave."

"Why?" _Please don't drag this out, Doctor. You don't have to give me a_ _reason._

"Because I'll be compelled to yell at you if you do. Don't you dare blame yourself for this, Rose Tyler."

He reached for her hand, and gave it a slight squeeze as she sat on the bed. The frail touch, lacking its familiar, comforting strength, brought back the waves of guilt with renewed vigour.

"But you d-don't understand," she stuttered, "Look what I've done to you!"

"But it was the Healdon possessing you! This isn't your fault, you silly –"

"No." The tears broke free and tumbled down her cheeks. "It was me. I felt it. It felt…. like Bad Wolf again. I had all this power but I wanted to hurt you," she sobbed.

"You're hurting me now," he said softly. Rose closed her eyes to evade his gaze.

"The Healdon didn't just control your body, Rose, it's able to control your mind as well. It's how they alter their appearance to match their …victim's."

"But I –"

"It's still out there, Rose. It's perfectly possible it's still able to influence you."

He leaned forward a little, trying to catch her eye. "Unless you really _do_ want to strangle me?"

Rose looked up. He was grinning.

"You know I don't." She smiled back, his trademark expression making her whole body feel lighter. "Apart from when you criticise my dress sense."

He chuckled, then winced. "Ow. Shouldn't do that with these ribs."

"Shouldn't we get you back to the Tardis? I know Bella wants you to stay here but…"

"Nah," he said, lying back and closing his eyes. "Wait 'till I'm feeling stronger. They've tanked me up on so many pills I'm surprised I'm not hallucinating."

He sighed, running his tongue over his teeth. "There's something you could get for me, though…"

"What?"

"Well, I'm not too picky, but something sweet, sugary or containing chocolate preferably?" he said hopefully.

Rose giggled, feeling like an exasperated parent. "Honestly, Doctor. It's a wonder you have any teeth left. How 'bout something _healthy_ for a change?"

The Doctor pondered this for a second.

"Ice-cream?"

* * *

Lol, yet more AS english is creeping in... this time it's Carol Ann Duffy poetry techniques. How _random_. This chapter was the one that sparked off this saga nearly four months ago... so I hope it's not too different. Enjoy anyway! 


	12. Chapter 12

Rose and Jack discovered that they had a fight on their hands in making the Doctor stay in one place; or keep still, for that matter.

"I don't like hospitals!" he complained vehemently, and despite their efforts, he was back at the Tardis within the hour. Rose privately thought that his real reasons had more to do with satisfying his sweet tooth, so she escorted him straight to the infirmary.

"Don't want anything else happening to you do we?" she said, her arm linked with his.

"I'm not an invalid," he grumbled in reply, as, to his disappointment, they bypassed the kitchen. Usually, he didn't like a fuss, but a part of him was quietly enjoying her attention.

Bella had said very little since the Doctor had been injured. She stood apart as Jack and Rose tended to him. The black box still sat in the corner, the waves slower now. It's presence only added to the tension.

"Why did you do it, Bella?" the Doctor said softy, cutting the silence. The Myvian looked up, but said nothing.

"It was you, in here last night. You didn't leave when you said you would." He paused. "That _mind machine_. Bit vague, isn't it? You haven't explained to us exactly what happens. Because you wanted to hide the truth from me. Or do you even _know_ what it does?"

Bella walked over to theobject in questionand stood looking at it, wringing her many hands several times over. She dipped her head, as if in shame, and her pale curtain of hair swung forward to hide her features. When she spoke, her voice had lost its usual confidence.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this."

"You were _experimenting _on it, Bella. Exactly how _was_ it supposed to be?" There was a warning edge in his tone.

"We would have taken it back!" Bella eye's flashed in frustration. "If it hadn't escaped…" She turned, and began to pace. " Alright. I stayed in the Tardis because it thought I would be able to control the Healdon, and get it back to HQ. Because…because I knew you'd want to do the right thing. Taking it back to where it belongs."

"But you hadn't finished your analysis," the Doctor completed for her. " I suppose that's where the commander comes into all of this."

Bella nodded. "The Healdon's capture wasn't approved by the ethics committee... The department was at stake. If you hadn't got involved – "

"_You_ were the one that found _me_!" the Doctor protested angrily.

"Because I was glad to see you!" Bella deflated slightly. " I…missed you."

The Doctor sighed, forced to keep still as Jack fixed a cut on his cheek. "So what now?" Rose asked.

The Doctor looked at Bella levelly. "What's more important? Your job, or that creature's existence?"

Bella looked at the three time travellers for a second, then gave a tentative smile. "I'll show you where we picked it up…"

* * *

The Tardis shook a little on landing. Jack moved automatically towards the doors, but the Doctor stopped him with a warning. "I wouldn't. You won't last long in that atmosphere."

He turned to Bella, and took the glimmering black rectangle from her hands. The waves were suddenly erratic, jumping and swirling in wild formations. "It knows it's going home," Jack observed.

"Now if we plug in this _here_ and that _there_…" The Doctor began muttering to himself. He flicked a switch or two, experimenting, then produced a metallic pad from his pocket and slapped it down. It adhered to the box like a magnet to a fridge.

Rose watched as he attached a few more wires. He seemed to choose them at random, but she was sure that he knew what he was doing. At least, she _hoped_ he knew; she wouldn't forget the 12 hours/ 12 months mishap in a hurry, and she had no desire to meet the Healdon again. However, the caring side of her nature was discovering an inkling of sympathy for it. After all, it hadn't asked to be imprisoned on a foreign planet.

As the Doctor straightened up, Bella stepped forward. "Can I?" She motioned to the machine, now connected to the Tardis's controls. He paused, then nodded his approval. "Turn the exterior monitor on, Jack."

"Stand back everyone…" Bella grabbed the largest of the Tardis's main levers, and began to gradually release it upwards.

The Doctor put his arm around Rose, and they watched together as, after a slight jolt, an iridescent mass began to cloud the green glow of the Tardis's central column.

A low hum reached Rose's ears, and she leaned into the Doctor's almost protective embrace. The swirling mass rose; then in another second, it had disappeared, as if melting into the light. The Tardis quietened as Bella let go of the lever. She flexed her hands, staring into middle distance, then in the next moment was all business again, joining Jack at the monitor.

"I think I got it…" Jack manipulated the controls, panning the camera upwards.

"Why's it black and white?" Rose queried in confusion. "Is there no colour out there or something?"

"The particles reflect very little light," the Doctor explained, peering at the blurry screen. "Use a filter, Jack."

The captain typed in a command, and the screen turned turquoise green. The smudged background became a little clearer.

"There…" the Doctor breathed, pointing at a darker object near the centre of the screen. It moved slowly, edges blending with its background. Then, smoothly, it disappeared into the shadows.

* * *

"Will you really lose your job?" Jack asked Bella as they stood in the gently sunlit square, saying their farewells. The Myvian smiled wryly. "I doubt it. Since the whole operation was supposedly a secret, the commander has no way of proving that I was ever involved." Bella looked at the Doctor and smiled more widely as she remembered his encounter with her superior. "He needs taking down a peg or two."

"Hey, the last 48 hours have been packed with shape-changing and I can't believe I haven't once mentioned the Portaloo incident!" A huge grin appeared on Jack's face.

"Oh god, not _again _Jack_…_" Rose started, but even she had trouble suppressing the giggles.

"Rose got him to fix the Tardis's chameleon circuit temporarily when we went to visit her mum on Earth, and you'll never guess what it turned into – " Jack explained, throwing a teasing glance at the Doctor, who hurriedly shoved him out of the way to prevent embarrassment on his part as he recalled the disastrous (although Rose and Jack still hadn't ceased to find it funny) appearance of his beloved timeship.

The Doctor was the last to say his goodbyes to Bella. "Now, you," the Doctor said in a mock serious tone, "Try to stay out of trouble."

"Hypocrite!" Bella replied, raising her eyebrows, "How can you say that after what you get up to everyday!" The Doctor grinned at her reply as she drew him into an embrace.

"I will visit," he promised, and kissed her cheek in farewell. Rose was surprised to see the usually tough Bella flush so red that her skin turned mauve.

The Myvian caught Rose's eye, then leaned close to the Doctor and whispered something inaudible to the watching humans. Now it was the Doctor's turn to go pink.

"I…umm.."

"I'm always right, aren't I?" Bella eyed him cheekily. The Doctor sighed in exasperation.

"Follow your hearts," She said in a softer tone.

The Doctor smiled. "Goodbye, Bella."

He took Rose's hand, his eyes twinkling, and they entered the Tardis together.

* * *

And that's me done! I hope everyone's enjoyed my lil' adventure… I had fun writing it anyway. Drop me a line and tell me what you think… Sorry if this isn't my best chapter, I never have been able to finish a story properly! Thought I'd better get it done before 8th July .. costhen I might be too sad to write anymore! But Rose will always live on in the great fics on this site... so smile everyone. :-D Au Revoir! xx 


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